national register nomination for boulevard park historic

Many of the individual buildings within Boulevard Park may be individually
eligible for the National Register for their architectural style, craftsmanship, or
association with significant individuals, but this nomination is not based on architectural
criteria. As a district, the selected criteria are a conscious choice by the reviewer to
identify a broader historic context that is more inclusive of the changes in the
neighborhood and its inhabitants. Boulevard Park is often identified as a “precinct of
privilege,” built as an exclusive enclave of Sacramento’s wealthy, of a type identified by
David Hamer in History in Urban Places. 57
This context, based on earlier surveys’ focus
on larger and more visually dramatic buildings, excludes large portions of the
development that were intended for residents of lesser means, as identified by sale prices,
professions of owners, and Progressive ideas of civic construction.
As a streetcar suburb, Boulevard Park was a product of its era. The district’s
location within the Sacramento city limits gave it the advantages of proximity to the city
center and access to city water and sewer, unavailable outside the city limits, and
proximity to city streetcar lines. Location of the largest and most expensive lots in
proximity to the streetcar line on H Street suggests that this was transportation for the
more affluent residents. The less expensive north end initially had no streetcar
connection. The site was within easy walking distance to job centers including canneries,
almond processing plants, and the Southern Pacific shops, so there was little need for
additional transit modes. The arrival of Northern Electric’s streetcar line in 1907 gave
those residents an additional transportation option, even if accompanied by freight trains.
57 Hamer, p. 67
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